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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423560">What's Waiting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kho/pseuds/kho'>kho</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode Tag, Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:29:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kho/pseuds/kho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ep tag to 10x21.</p><p>“I’m not saying you shouldn’t go Steven,” Danny says softly, staring at the back of Steve’s head.  “Just that I didn’t think you’d actually pull the proverbial trigger.” He snorts then, looking to the side out of the window to the ocean beyond.  “Or maybe that was wishful thinking.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett &amp; Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>234</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What's Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Quarantine has brought me back to my boys and boy oh boy have I missed those fuckers!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So you’re really going.”</p><p>Steve doesn’t look up, continuing to shove neatly rolled up socks and pants and shirts into his duffle bag.  “I really am.”</p><p>Danny leans on the door jamb and folds his arms across his chest.  “I guess I kinda thought you’d change your mind.”</p><p>“The cases keep coming, and when one wraps up the next is on its way,” Steve says, next moving onto his toiletries.  Why he’s bothering to pack shaving cream and a razor he’s not sure, he’ll likely never touch it. “And the next is already starting, and the next, and the next.”</p><p>“I’m not saying you shouldn’t go Steven,” Danny says softly, staring at the back of Steve’s head.  “Just that I didn’t think you’d actually pull the proverbial trigger.” He snorts then, looking to the side out of the window to the ocean beyond.  “Or maybe that was wishful thinking.”</p><p>“You see,” Steve says, smirking and meeting Danny’s eyes.  “Wishful thinking. But it’s *not* you saying I shouldn’t go?”</p><p>Danny shrugs, looking away again.  “I am an enigma.”</p><p>Steve laughs.  “Danny.”</p><p>“I can not want you to go and still think you should, Steve,” Danny says, soft enough that Steve barely hears him.  “I’m worried.”</p><p>“I’m not going to disappear off the face of the Earth,” Steve says, rolling his eyes.  “I’m just taking some time to figure you what living for *me* looks like.”</p><p>Danny gestures.  “Hence why you should.  I agree, I’ve been saying similar for years if you’ll remember.”</p><p>“And yet,” Steve says, gesturing to Danny’s stiff posture, his crossed arms, the deep frown creasing his face.</p><p>“And yet,” Danny agrees, nodding.</p><p>Steve turns around to face him, finally giving him his undivided attention.  “What?”</p><p>Danny stands up straighter, takes one step closer to Steve but no further.  “Are you really not going to disappear off the face of the Earth? Because you don’t have the best track record, Steve.  You don’t exactly have a long history of dashing around the globe and keeping in touch.”</p><p>Steve frowns, sitting on the edge of his ed.  “I thought you understood Danny.”</p><p>“Oh I do,” Danny says, waving a hand.  “I do all too well.”</p><p>“Then why…”</p><p>“Promise me,” Danny says, striding forward and pointing a finger in Steve’s face.  “Promise me you’ll call.”</p><p>Steve nods, meeting Danny’s eyes.  “I promise.”</p><p>“Promise me you keep in touch.  Promise me you take care of yourself, promise me you won’t eat exclusively MRE’s.  Promise me you’ll tell me immediately if something, anything, goes wrong.”</p><p>Steve raises his hands steepled together in a promise.  “I will, Danny.”</p><p>“And by wrong I don’t just mean you get yourself in trouble, I mean if you don’t feel right, if you’re not in a good place up here,” Danny says, tapping Steve’s head.  “Promise.”</p><p>“Danny,” Steve says on a laugh, rolling his eyes.  “How many promises are you gonna--”</p><p>“Promise me you’re coming back,” Danny says finally, swallowing past the thick lump in his throat.  “Promise me you come back here, to me, in one piece. That it’s not suddenly ten years later and I see you across the street somewhere and you didn’t even tell me you were coming.”</p><p>“I would never do that, Danny,” Steve says feelingly, standing up and grabbing Dahnny’s shoulder.  “This isn’t that. This isn’t me disappearing on you, Danny.”</p><p>“Feels like it,” Danny says, reaching up and scrubbing a hand over his face.  “I got a pit in my stomach that says I never see you again.”</p><p>“There you go again,” Steve says, smiling softly and reaching up to tilt Danny’s chin up til he looks a him.  “Catastrophizing again.”</p><p>“You should go,” Danny says quietly.  “I want you to go. I want you to be happy.  I get it, there’s too many memories, too much noise here, there’s too many responsibilities and you deserve it.  You deserve to figure out for once how to be you. Without all of this.”</p><p>Steve searches Danny’s eyes.  “But.”</p><p>‘But come *back*,” Danny says fiercely, jabbing a finger in Steve’s chest.  “Cuz I need. I need…”</p><p>“To know I’m okay, I know Danno,” Steve finishes, but Danny shakes his head.</p><p>“No.”  Danny frowns.  “Well yes, but no.  No Steven, I need *you*.”  He steps closer, breathing in the air Steve expels.  “I need you for *me* to be okay.“</p><p>“Danny,” Steve questions, eyes a little teary, breathing a little heavier.</p><p>Danny leans in then, eyes never leaving Steve’s even as their lips meet.  It’s not even a kiss so much as them breathing together. “I need you here, Steven,” he whispers, stepping back once.  Twice.</p><p>“Come with me,” Steve breathes out, following Danny as he steps further back.  “Danny come with me. I was never leaving you, just here. This place. Just for now.  Never.” He shakes his head as Danny holds his hands up to keep Steve from entering his space.  “Never you, Danny. I’ll never leave *you*.” Steve grabs onto Danny’s wrists and pulls him closer.  “I’ll stay, Danny. I won’t go.”</p><p>“I didn’t do that to get you to stay,” Danny says, grinning up at him.  “You big idiot."</p><p>“But I will, Danno.  I’ll stay for you,” Steve says, looking stricken as he readjusts his grip on Danny.  “Danny.”</p><p>“Go,” Danny says, twisting his hand to lace his fingers through Steve’s.  “I want you to go. I didn’t do that to get you to stay.”</p><p>“I don’t care,” Steve says, squeezing Danny’s hands.  “I don’t have to leave, Danny.”</p><p>“Yeah, babe, you do,” Danny says softly.  “I just wanted you to know what was waiting for you back home.”</p><p>Steve swallows convulsively, fingers clenching and unclenching in Danny’s hands.  “Danny.”</p><p>“Go,” Danny says, leaning forward again and kissing Steve again, slower this time.  Soft and achingly perfect. When he pulls away Steve’s eyes are closed and he puts a hand on Steve’s cheek.  “I mean it. Go. Get some peace and quiet. Get some perspective. Visit Mary. Spend some time with Joanie.”</p><p>“I’m coming back, Danny,” Steve says, finally blinking open and taking a breath.  “I was always coming back. To this or just to us as we’ve always been, I was always coming back to you.”</p><p>“Good,” Danny says, feeling like it’s finally a little easier to breathe.  “I’ll be here.”</p><p>Steve surges forward, crashing their mouths together.  Rough, and messy, tongue delving past Danny’s lips as his hands come up to cradle Danny’s head in his hands.  When he pulls back they’re breathless and red lipped, raw and broken open, and when Steve blinks one single tear falls down.</p><p>“I was always coming back to you, Danny,” he says, voice raw with emotion.  “I always will.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can find me on tumblr here under <a href="http://lovethesnark.tumblr.com">@lovethesnark</a>.  </p><p><span class="u">Fanfiction Website</span><br/>MOST of my fic is not on AO3, though all of my H5O and beyond is as AO3 didn't exist yet and it was too much to archive.  It can be found on my website at <a href="http://www.lovethesnark.com">LoveTheSnark.com</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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